Young Carers

What Young Carers does

Young Carers is a programme operated by The Children's Society (Church of England Children's Society), a registered UK charity (Charity Registration No. 221124) founded in 1881 and headquartered in London. The programme supports children and young people under 18 who carry caring responsibilities at home due to family illness, disability, mental health issues, or substance misuse. Its core offerings include the Include advice service (covering rights, education, employment, wellbeing, mental health, and financial guidance), the annual Young Carers Festival — entering its 26th year in 2026 and described as the largest gathering of young carers in the world, hosted in partnership with YMCA Fairthorne Group — the Nexus Project (a three-year Armed Forces Covenant Trust-funded initiative for young carers in armed forces families), the Space to Grow wellbeing service, and a UK-wide online Service Finder connecting users to local projects. Distribution is domestic (England) and channel mix spans phone (01962 711511), email ([email protected]), online resources, and group-based festival bookings through schools and youth organisations.

The programme operates as a non-profit charitable service with no commercial technology stack. It relies on a community-led, event-driven go-to-market model. Revenue derives primarily from public donations and fundraising channelled through The Children's Society, supplemented by earmarked grants (Armed Forces Covenant Trust for Nexus; CareTech Charitable Foundation for festival travel grants of £100–£1,000 based on distance) and modest festival ticket revenue ranging from £55 to £140 per attendee depending on tier and booking period. Festival access is further subsidised through distance-based travel grants, reducing economic barriers for distant attendees.

The organisation has approximately 18 employees scoped to the programme, supporting four primary beneficiary segments: young carers themselves, the professionals (social workers, teachers, healthcare workers) serving them, their families, and secondary schools/youth groups facilitating festival attendance. Marketing is conducted via The Children's Society's website, email newsletters, and a broad social presence (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, YouTube). In November 2024, the organisation's separate Access to Records service received an Outstanding OFSTED inspection rating, reinforcing its regulatory standing. No AI, API, or proprietary technology capabilities are disclosed; the model is fundamentally human-delivered support services rather than technology-enabled.

Name

Young Carers

Legal name

Church of England Children's Society

Website

https://youngcarer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1881

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Children's Society's Young Carers programme supports UK children and young people aged 11-17 with caring responsibilities at home through the Include advice service, the annual Young Carers Festival (the world's largest such gathering), the Nexus Project for armed forces families, and an online local Service Finder, funded by donations and charitable grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Support and Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Coaching, Parent-Mediated & Home Visiting EI Services (EDACAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mother’s Helper (Short-Shift In-Home Support) (HSAAAAAG)

Keywords

• Young carer support
• Youth wellbeing services
• Carer rights advice
• Charity youth programs
• Respite activities youth

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The Children's Society relies on donations and support from the public to fund its work with children and young people, including young carers services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Young Carers is a support programme run by The Children's Society (Church of England Children's Society) for children and young people under 18 who have caring responsibilities for a family member. It delivers advice on rights, education, employment, wellbeing, mental health and finances through the Include service, peer connection via an annual festival, and a Service Finder tool linking users to local projects. The programme also operates targeted projects such as the Nexus Project for armed forces families and Space to Grow for wellbeing support.

Product overview

The Children's Society's Young Carers program is a suite of support services for young people with caring responsibilities at home. The core offerings include the Include Service (providing rights advice, connections to other young carers, and education/employment guidance), the annual Young Carers Festival (the world's largest gathering of young carers, run with YMCA Fairthorne Group), the Nexus Project (supporting armed forces families), Space to Grow (wellbeing services), and a local Service Finder tool. These are complemented by targeted advice resources covering education, rights, mental health, financial support, and specific guidance for those living with alcohol-dependent adults. The organization also operates a separate but related Access to Records Service for former care recipients. This is a charitable support program rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Young Carers Festival: The largest festival in the world for young people with a caring responsibility at home, hosted annually in partnership with YMCA Fairthorne Group.
• The Nexus Project

Products and services

• Include Service A direct support service helping young carers, families, and professionals understand young carers' rights, connect with other young carers, and access education and employment advice, delivered via phone (01962 711511), email ([email protected]) and online.
• Young Carers Festival An annual weekend festival hosted with YMCA Fairthorne Group, described as the largest gathering of young carers in the world, providing respite, outdoor activities, entertainment and a political platform for young carers aged 11-17.
• Nexus Project A three-year project funded by the Armed Forces Covenant Trust aimed at improving support, resources and access to services for young carers within armed forces families.
• Space to Grow A wellbeing service for young people providing support and resources for their development and wellness.
• Service Finder An online tool that helps young carers locate their nearest local young carers' project and connect with services in their area across the UK.
• Access to Records Service A service helping individuals who were adopted by or in the care of The Children's Society access their records, rated Outstanding by OFSTED in November 2024.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• YMCA Fairthorne GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 June 2026YMCA Fairthorne Group is the key partner in hosting the annual Young Carers Festival. The partnership brings together young carers from across the UK for a weekend of fun, respite, and recognition. This is entering the 26th year of the festival.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Action for Children: Major UK children's charity running services across fostering, early years, and youth support. Overlaps with Young Carers in providing direct services to vulnerable children and young people, and competes for similar local authority and trust funding.
• NSPCC: UK's leading children's charity focused on preventing abuse and neglect, operating Childline, direct services, and policy campaigning. While its mission is broader, it is a comparable national children's charity competing for donor mind-share and statutory contracts in child welfare.
• Centrepoint: UK charity supporting homeless young people aged 16-24 through housing, learning, and wellbeing services. Comparable as a youth-facing national charity delivering direct support services, advocacy, and policy influencing alongside The Children's Society.
• Barnardo's: One of the largest UK children's charities, supporting children and young people through services spanning fostering, mental health, and youth work. Comparable to Young Carers as a national charity providing direct support services to vulnerable children within The Children's Society's broader peer ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Carers UK: National membership charity providing advice, information, and campaigning on behalf of the UK's 5.7 million unpaid carers, including young carers. Operates an advice line and policy platform analogous to the Young Carers Include service, and competes for similar statutory and grant funding.
• Family Action: UK charity delivering practical, emotional, and financial support to families, including services for young carers and disadvantaged children. Closely comparable in service mix — family-based advice, wellbeing, and direct support — to The Children's Society's Young Carers programme.
• Family Lives: UK charity providing advice and support to parents and families via helpline, online, and peer services. Operates an advice-line model closely analogous to the Young Carers Include service and targets overlapping beneficiary cohorts.
• Carers Trust: UK charity focused specifically on supporting unpaid carers, including young carers, through a network of local carer service centres and a national Young Carers programme. Most directly comparable peer — both organisations deliver dedicated support, advice, and advocacy for young carers across the UK.
• YMCA England & Wales (incl. YMCA Fairthorne Group): Host partner for the Young Carers Festival and a major youth services charity providing accommodation, training, and family programmes across the UK. Directly comparable through its youth engagement, festival delivery, and family support service lines.

Regional players

• TACT (The Adolescent and Children's Trust): UK charity providing fostering, adoption, and post-16 leaving care services, with associated family and carer support work. Comparable as a child-focused charity offering carer-adjacent support and competing for similar local authority contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCjd-RLECOUdYLdy9_bgzQ6Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrenssociety
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-carers
• Instagraminstagram.com/thechildrenssociety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Young Carers